Fresh Lemon Mousse and Sweetened Whipped Cream

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

3 extra-large whole eggs
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
Kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup good bottled lemon curd, at room temperature
Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows
Sliced lemon, for garnish

In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture is thick like pudding. (I change to a whisk when the mixture starts to get thick.) Take off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until completely chilled.

Place half the *egg whites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny. Carefully fold the beaten whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula. Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Fold in the lemon curd, and pour into a 7-inch-diameter, 3-inch-deep souffle dish. Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices that have been cut into quarters. Chill and serve cold.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium and then high speed until the cream just forms still peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Arroz con Leche

1 cup rice
3 cups water
A dash of salt
1 stick of cinnamon (about 8 cm. long)
A dash of lemon or orange peel (optional, I usually don't add)
4 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg (optional)

Cook the rice with the water, salt and cinnamon stick on the stove. Once the water has almost evaporated, reduce heat and slowly stir in the milk, sugar and vanilla. I some times beat an egg into the milk before pouring into the rice. Once the rice thickens, remove from the stove and let cool, and then refrigerate. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving chilled.

Note: I used brown sugar, which gave the arroz con leche a darker color.

Gelatinas

Recipe from my aunt Mague.

2 tablespoons gelatin
½ cup cold water
1 can (about 400 g) condensed milk
1 ½ cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk

Sprinkle the gelatin in half a cup of cold water; do not stir. Heat until boiling to fully dissolve the gelatin. Then, in a blender, mix the condensed milk, vanilla, and pecans. Add the dissolved gelatin. Add milk until total mixture equals 4 cups of liquid. Pour into a mold and refrigerate until firm.

Note: Use 2 tablespoons of gelatin per 4 cups of liquid. Can substitute the pecans for Rompope, Kahlua, etc.

Cinnamon-Flavored Ice Milk with Coffee

Recipe from Penelope Casas The Foods & Wines of Spain

1 and 1/2 cups strong black coffee, preferably espresso, chilled

Leche Merengada
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Peel of 1 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
4 egg whites
Few drops of lemon juice
Cinnamon for dusting

Make the Leche Merengada. Bring to a boil the milk, cream, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the lemon peel, and the cinnamon sticks. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool, the refrigerate until cold. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. Beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Slowly beat in the cold milk mixture. Freeze in ice cube trays. Dust with cinnamon when serving.

Pour 1/4 cup chilled coffee into each of 6 parfait glasses, then add scoops of Leche Merengada. Serve immediately.

Honey-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake

Recipe from The New York Times

1/4 cup chestnut or other intense honey
4 small or 3 large Bosc pears, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cored
3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sliced almonds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-inch ovenproof skillet (not nonstick), simmer honey until it begins to reduce, caramelize and darken in color, 6 to 10 minutes. Do not let honey burn; if it starts to smell burned, turn off heat.

Arrange pears, close together and cut-side down, in a circular pattern in skillet, stem ends pointing toward center. Simmer over medium heat, turning them from one cut side to the other, until they begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.

Flip pears over to their curved side and scatter with thyme sprigs if using. Transfer skillet to oven and roast, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Fold in flour and salt; stir in 1/2 cup butter.

When pears are soft, remove skillet from oven, discard thyme sprigs and brush edges of pears with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pour batter on roasted pears and scatter almonds over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool for 30 minutes in pan. Run an offset spatula along edges of pan to loosen cake; carefully invert cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or cooled.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Flan

3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
6 tablespoons sugar
2 and 1/2 cups milk

Caramelized Sugar:
10 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons water

To make the caramelized sugar, heat the sugar and water in a small skillet over a medium-high flame, stirring constantly, until the sugar has turned a golden color. Remove from the heat immediately and pour into 6 ovenproof custard cups or one large mold, lining the sides of the mold.

To make the flan, beat together lightly with a wire whisk the whole eggs and the yolks. Add the lemon rind, sugar, and milk. Pour mixture into the mold lined with caramelized sugar.

Cook in a baño maria. Place the mold or cups in a pan with at least 2 inches of hot water. Cook on top of the stove over a medium flame for 1 hour. Transfer to a 350 degree F oven and continue cooking 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the flan comes out clean. Remove the mold or cups from the water and cool, then refrigerate.

To serve, loosen the sides of the flan with a knife and invert onto dessert dish.

Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Cream

Recipe from O, The Oprah Magazine

Topping:
1  egg
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1/2 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 cup chopped pecans

Pie:
1 pounds (2 medium) sweet potatoes, baked, peeled, and kept warm
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2  eggs
1  (9-inch) unbaked pastry shell

Cinnamon Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon granulated sugar

To make topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine egg, corn syrup, light brown sugar, margarine, and maple flavoring; mix well. Stir in pecans and set aside.

To make pie: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat warm sweet potatoes with margarine until smooth. Add condensed milk, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and eggs; mix well. Pour into pastry shell. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven; spoon topping evenly over pie. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Cool. Serve warm or chilled.

To make cinnamon cream: In a medium-size bowl over ice, whisk heavy cream. Add cinnamon and sugar, and whisk to medium-stiff peaks. Serve alongside pie.

Berry Gazpacho

Recipe from Southern Living

1 (750-milliliter)  bottle Riesling wine
1  vanilla bean, split
1  bunch fresh mint
1  (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1/2  cup  water
1/3  cup  honey
2  tablespoons  lemon juice
1  cup  fresh raspberries
1  cup  fresh blackberries
1  cup  fresh blueberries
Raspberry sorbet
Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, fresh berries

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Cover and chill.

Pour wine mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding bean and mint.

Process strawberries and 1/2 cup water in a blender until smooth; pour through wire-mesh strainer into wine mixture, discarding seeds. Stir in honey and next 4 ingredients; chill. Serve with raspberry sorbet. Garnish, if desired.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

Recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 extra large eggs; at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of an 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light. Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup but do not combine. With the mixer on medium low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.

Fig and Almond Tart

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis for the Food Network

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 lemon, zested
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
3 1/2 ounces almond paste, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
6 large or 12 small fresh figs, sliced, stems removed or 20 dried figs, reconstituted *see Cook's Note
1/4 cup apricot jam

Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

In a clean food processor bowl, combine remaining sugar, almond paste, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a large, heavy baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the figs on top of the almond filling. Spoon the jam over the figs. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.

Bake the tart until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the tart from the parchment. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve.

Cook's Note: To reconstitute dried figs, simmer in water for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely. Strain before using.

Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Recipe from Weelicious

Makes 8 Individual Ramekins

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 15 oz Can Pumpkin Puree
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Agave or Honey
Accompaniments: Crushed Gingersnap Cookies or Graham Crackers, whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixer or in a bowl with beaters, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth and combined. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and combine.

Pour into 8 ramekins and fill 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and serve.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Elizabeth Falkner at Citizen Cake in San Francisco.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

For cupcakes
2 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. roasted butternut squash or pumpkin puree
½ c. canola oil
¼ c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger root
2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar

For frosting
4 oz. butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325º.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and set aside.

Mix pumpkin, oil, buttermilk, and ginger root, and set aside.

Whisk the egg with the sugars until creamy; add to the pumpkin mixture. Add the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into lined muffin tins, bake 20-25 minutes (or until cupcakes spring back when touched), and let cool completely.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and salt; mix until combined. Stir in vanilla extract.

Frost the cupcakes, and then garnish with fresh grated nutmeg or toasted pecans.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

This recipe is from my aunt Mague.

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups finely chopped pecans
2 cups sifted flour
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat butter and powdered sugar in mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and pecans. Remove from mixer and stir in flour by hand being careful not to overmix. Form into small balls and place on a buttered cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to get the slightest bit colored on the bottom. Remove upon the first sign of color and set on a rack to cool. When cool enough to touch place in a bowl with powdered sugar on top and bottom and toss gently. Occasionally toss with sugar while cooling, trying to get as much sugar as possible to stick. When cold, place cookies in airtight container and cover until ready to serve.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

This recipe was recommended by my friend Karma.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar   
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 medium lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Whip together the softened butter and granulated sugar until you get a light fluffy paste.

Once the butter and sugar are mixed together, add the egg, vanilla extract and ricotta. Zest the lemon and add in half of the zest, reserving the rest for garnish. Mix until all of those "wet" ingredients are well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Make sure they are well combined - chunks of baking powder are not delicious.

Mix together the bowl of wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until you have a thick paste like batter. Using a spoon, drop balls of the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet two inches apart. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

In a small bowl prepare the glaze by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar and the juice of the lemon that you previously zested (be careful not to let the seeds drop in). Using a spoon, smear a small amount over top of the baked cookies.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup yacon syrup
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Form ½ inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes. Cool and serve